Miami (AFP) – The Tampa Bay Rays will not be able to return to their hurricane-damaged home ballpark until the start of the 2026 season, and that would require $55.7 million in repairs, an assessment said Tuesday. A damage assessment report sent to the St. Petersburg City Council on Tuesday indicated that $23.6 million will be needed to repair the translucent fiberglass roof at Tropicana Field, which was destroyed by Hurricane Milton last month, WTSP-TV and the Tampa Bay Times reported.
While the Rays struggle to decide whether they will play the 2025 Major League Baseball campaign, city officials must determine if they want to allocate funds for the stadium, especially given that the Rays are set to build a new $1.3 billion ballpark scheduled to open in 2028. The stadium, which opened in 1990, was declared structurally sound after the storm battered it on October 9. However, assessors suggested that the city cover it with a temporary roof and implement temperature control measures to avoid further damage.
The earliest that repairs could be completed would be in time for the late March start of the 2026 MLB season, according to a timetable provided in the report. The council is expected to discuss the matter at a meeting next week. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed a preference for the Rays to remain in the Tampa Bay area for the 2025 season rather than relocate to larger but more distant venues, such as the Miami Marlins’ enclosed ballpark.
Multiple smaller stadiums in the area are utilized by MLB clubs for pre-season training, including facilities in Tampa, Clearwater, Dunedin, Lakeland, and Sarasota. The Rays’ own spring training venue is located in Port Charlotte, just over a one-hour drive south of St. Petersburg.
© 2024 AFP
